A problem faced by countless businesses
When starting a business, the list of things to do is immense. Somewhere on that list is "create a website". The problem is, you have no idea how long this will take if you've never done it before.
For established business owners, the issue isn't getting a website up and running; it's keeping it up to date. Or finding time to take care of that long-overdue refresh that can help propel your business to a new level.
In both cases, having an experienced freelance copywriter on hand who specialises in web copy can help. I've been writing copy for more than 20 years, and my focus for much of the past decade has been on helping business owners with their websites.
Thanks to my long editorial background and some half-decent design skills, I can get your project off to a flying start. My web copywriting services include:
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Creating a cohesive strategy for your website, which will include details of which pages to include and how to link them all up.
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All on-page SEO work, including keywords, internal linking, header tags and quality content written for humans – which is exactly what Google wants today.
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Rough designs showing what should go where and why. Few copywriters do this. It's a fantastic way to kickstart the next phase of the project when you take my copy to a designer.
And if you'd rather take a back seat, I can source freelance designers and developers from my network and oversee the project from start to finish.
"Mike is dedicated to delivering high-quality content that exceeds expectations. Thanks to his expertise, our brand's voice is stronger and more compelling than ever."
Andrew Morgan, co-founder, HardSoft Computers
Get a FREE assessment of your current homepage!
Many website homepages are underoptimised. They often:
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Lack clarity
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Use outdated fonts or design
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Miss out on easy SEO wins
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Fail miserably on calls to action (CTAs)
To give you an idea of how I work, I offer a free rapid analysis of the hero section (the bit at the top) of your homepage. No strings – just actionable tips to try out straight away. Get yours today!
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We need to talk about AI
Everybody today knows that artificial intelligence can create copy quickly and effectively. And it's free. So why do you need a copywriter?
Here's why...
I've been experimenting with AI since the week ChatGPT became available to the public. It was obvious from the start that it would impact copywriting – and it has. I wanted to make sure I knew what AI was capable of, where its weaknesses were, and if/how it could help me as a writer.
When working on your project, we have two options:
1/ We pretend AI doesn't exist
This isn't me being flippant – this is a legitimate option if you want a very specific brand voice that is 100% created by me. You're investing in my time to come up with something unique to you – something I can replicate every time I write for you. This kind of documentable, non-infringing copy also ensures you don't fall foul of any future legal issues.
2/ We accept that AI does exist – and harness it
Most copywriters have their heads in the sand. They refuse to accept that AI can help – which, to my mind, is ludicrous. It reminds me of the many magazine publishers who were slow to latch onto the possibilities of the internet, thinking it was all just a fad. Many missed out on millions in ad revenue and inadvertently derailed their future success.
I am happy with either solution. If you love my portfolio and want something that is all me – great. Or if you want to speed things up a little and hire me to put my knowledge of AI to good use (and then turn what AI writes into something great), that's fine, too.
Many business owners are not that proficient with AI, so they don't really know where to begin when it comes to many of the tasks it is capable of handling.
Likewise, they're not quite sure what to do with the copy it gives them. AI can give you a great starting point, but it's the skill of an experienced copywriter or AI copy editor that can help transform the words into a website.
How much does a freelance copywriter for business cost?
According to the latest ProCopywriters survey, the average UK day rate for a copywriter is around the £450 mark. My fees are broadly in line with that, though I tend to charge by the project.
The first thing to be aware of is that good copywriting takes time. A website with which to launch a business could take anything from 3-12 days or more to write, depending on your ambitions for the site. Consequently, a website can cost anything from around £1,500 to £5,000+.
For larger businesses looking for a complete refresh, the starting point can be considerably more.
That's because their websites often have multiple pages, each of which may take anything from a couple of hours to a day to rewrite. The longest website copywriting project I have worked on lasted three months.
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To get an idea of how I work and an understanding of the possible costs involved in creating a website for you, just send me a quick email or give me a call. I'd love to hear about your project and explain how I can help.
Ongoing copywriting support for your business
When you find a copywriter whose work you like, hold onto them. They have helped create your 'voice', and anyone stepping into their shoes may not quite match the style you've come to know and love.
I have several clients who maintain strong links with me via a monthly retainer. It means I'm available to them for a set number of hours or days every month – and it's a great option for when you just need some quick feedback on something.
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As well as website copywriting, I provide written work of all kinds for clients (some of their testimonials are reproduced right here).
This includes:
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Email copywriting for cold or warm leads
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White paper copywriting and industry reports
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Brochures and promotional PDFs
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Facebook ads
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Surveys, studies and polls (including results analysis)
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Launch announcements, LinkedIn articles and more.
What to do next?
I love taking on new clients and finding ways to make the words they use really work for them. I've helped businesses in most sectors, ranging from industrial and finance to healthcare and FMCG.
Whether you're looking for a SaaS copywriter, someone to help in any other aspect of B2B, or a B2C copywriter, I have the track record and commitment to make a difference.
So please take a look around my website and get a feel for my work.
My blog pages have some thoughts about hiring a copywriter and other relevant subjects, while my testimonials page contains kind words from clients past and present.
If you like what you see, drop me a line. I look forward to helping you find ways to make your words earn their keep.
FAQ
Find answers about copywriting for business, how I work and more...
When should a business hire a copywriter vs. doing it themselves? It all depends on your skill-set in-house. If you have someone on the marketing team who writes well, understands SEO, linking, conversion and all that, go for it. However, you should know that writing a website takes time. Even a relatively simple 5-pages takes around 4-8 full days to properly plan out and write. If time is an issue, a freelance copywriter for business websites can be a lifesaver.
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How do I brief a copywriter effectively for the best results? It should be a two-way process. If you know what you want, take the lead. If this is all new to you, ask your copywriter for help in coming up with the brief. It should cover: * Information about your brand and your customers. * The tone of voice you require (and whether you need help from your writer to define this). * Your goals for the content and how it will be used. * What your expectations are about SEO. * A clear list of all the deliverables. * How many rounds of amendments you require. The briefing sessions and document(s) are basically there to ensure your writer knows what you want and has all the information they need. Most copywriters get the ball rolling with a detailed questionnaire. After that, a video call or two can fill in any gaps.
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What copywriting metrics should business owners track? Many copywriters struggle when asked about ROI, as we don't often get feedback about how effective our work is. That's because of the time lag between delivery of copy and implementation. However, most writers are not averse to working with clients to assess how effective their copy is for engagement, conversion, SEO or any other metric you wish to track. Most of my work is writing websites. If you're happy to keep me in the loop after I've filed the copy, I'm available to test new headlines, different CTAs – and keep making SEO tweaks to help you refine your content. There are many moving parts in a website, and it makes good sense to keep tracking what works and what doesn't. Why not contact me and we will come up with a strategy for your website?
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How much will a 5-page website cost? Give me a ballpark figure. Strictly ballpark? OK, if you hire me, it will be somewhere between £1,600 and £3,000 in most cases. As for other writers, the UK average day rate for a freelance copywriter is £480, and it will rarely take less than 3 days to complete the work. That means an average copywriter will charge anything from £1,440 (if it takes three days) to £3,360 if it takes seven. Some writers will charge more than £480 a day, others less. Why such a wide gap in the time required? All these things play a part: * Complexity of job * Briefing expectations (you may wish your writer to visit you for a day, for example) * Word count for each page * Research/interviews required * SEO requirements * How many rounds of amendments you need For a small business on a tight budget, we can keep things lean – hence the suggestion of a 5-page website costing around £1,600. When quoting, your copywriter will attempt to estimate the time required to complete the job and base their price on that. If you take a look at my blogs section, there’s a detailed post about why it takes so long to write a website.
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